Cigar-bunching machine.



PATBNTBD 00T. 190s. l

F. C. SMALSTXG. GIGAR BUNUHING MAGHINB.

APPLIUTIN FILED HAY 1, 1803.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

N0 MODEL.

WITNESSESJ No. 740,934. PATENTBD 0016, 190s. F. c. sMALsTIG.

GIGA'R "BUNGHING'MAGHINR APPLIOATIN FILED MAY 1, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

ive. 740,9e4.

NrTED STATES IrPatented October .6, 1903..

'Patr-ENT. Errea.

FREDERICK C.y sMALsTrC, CE ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIA, AssrCNoE CE CNE-HALETo GABRIEL MAYER, CE ALLEGHENY, PENNsrLvANIA.

ClGAR-BUNCHING MACHlNE.

SPECIFICATION arming part nfy Letters Patent Np. 740,934, dated octobere, 1 90e.

Application filed May 1,1903. Serial No. 155,097. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom, t may concern.-

Beit known that I, FREDERICK C. SMAL- STIG, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Allegheny, in'the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCigar- Bunching Machines, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings. Cigar-bunchingmachines'now in use are usually constructed in connection with a tableor bench of special design', so that the latter constitutes an essentialpart of the machine. Such machines are cumbersome and expensive and arenot portable in the sense that they can be owned and carried from placeto place by the operators.

The primaryobject of the presentinvention is to provide a light andinexpensive machine which may be placed for operation on an ordinarytable or bench and by which the operation of bunching may beaccomplished rapidly and effectively.

In designing the operative parts of the machine one object is to providefor tensioning the apron and to compensate for variations of'size in thebunches.

A further object is to provide improved means for retracting theapronfoperating carriage after each operation.

These and further objects and advantages are fully setforth in thefollowing specification and claims, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, wherein Figure l is a side elevation of myimproved machine. Fig. 2 is a top plan view. Fig. 3

is a rear end View. Fig. 4 is a vertical lon! gitudinal sectional Viewtaken on line 4 4 of Fig. 2, showing different positions ot' thecarriage in dotted lines. Fig. 5 is a sectional plan View of thecarriage. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the apron-tensioning device. Fig. 7is an end View of the roller.

Referring to the drawings, the machinebase consists of a flat frameformed of side pieces 2 and cross-pieces 3, and secured to one of thelatter is rolling-table 4. From the other cross-piece 3 rise tubularposts 5, which inclose securing-bolts 6.

7 is a spring-plate formed at opposite ends of its rear edge withapertured ears 8, which [it over bolts 6 and rest on the upperextremities of posts 5, being clamped thereto by nuts 9, thus rigidlysecuring the same with its free or unsupported portion extending towardtable 4.

l0 isV the bunch-forming apron, which extends loosely over the table andspring-plate, being secured at one end to the outer edge of the table byclamping-bar 11 and at its oppo- 6o site end between the rear portion ofspringplate 7 and bar l2, the latter being apertured to [it over bolts 6and secured by nuts 13. Between table 4 and spring-plate 7 the sag ofthe apron forms pocket.10, which re- 6 5 ceives the bunch or fillerbefore beingrclled in the binder, as will be presently explained.

Secured to sides 2 of the base are rods 14, and slidable thereon beneathplate 7 and over table 4 is the apron-actuating mechanism, 7o whichconsists of a carriage formed of end members 15 and top cross-bars 16,the latter carrying handheld 17. Formed on each of ends l5 are theseparated eyes 18,.in which are Secured the brass bushings 19, embracingrods 14. Each bushing is open at 19 between eyes 18 to expose the rod tothe fibrous ring 20, encircling the bushing between the eyes. With thefibrous rings soaked with oil rods 14 are thoroughly lubricated and atthe same 8o time the rings serve as wipers, keeping the upper and mostexposed portions of the rods clear of dust.

2l is the apron-engaging bunch-forming roller that may have suchperipheral form as 85 to impart the desired shape to the bunch. Saidroller is here shown straight or cylindrical and is mounted and turns onrod 22, extending through apertures in the forward portion of carriageends 15, one end of the 9o rod being bent at 22' to turn down intoengagement with one of eyes 18.` The rod is thus securely held, thoughcapable of ready' removal whenever a change of yrollers is desired.

For retracting the carriage after each operation I provide a tape 23,having a spring winding and which is anchored at one end and adapted tobe unwound by the forward movement of the carriage. In the present Ionadaptation of the invention the winding is embodied in a tubular roller24 in the rear portion of the carriage and closed at one end andprovided with bearings in one of the carriage ends 15, while secured inthe other carriage end is rod 2G, which extends into the roller and itsinner' end has bearing 27 therein. A spring 28 is'coiled around' thisrod and at one end secured thereto and its opposite end to the roller. Aratchet 29, pivoted to rollerhead 24, serves to hold the spring at anydesired tension, as in the well-known type of shade-roller, and withtape 23 wound on the roller and anchored at its outer` end by eyelet 23to hook 30 the resistance to the advance of the carriage does not varyappreciably from one end of its travel to 'the other and serves toreturn the carriage to starting v position easily and withoutinjuriously jarring the same.

1n operation the filler 3l, sufiicieut to form a bunch of desired size,is placed in apronpocket 10', and the binder 32 is spread on the apronover table 4, as shown in Fig. 2. The carriage is then drawn forward bythe operator grasping handle 17, causing the filler to be rolled withinthe binder while passing over the table and discharging the rolled bunchat the front edge of the same, as is usual in this class of machines.

The size of the apron-pocket may be varied by lengthening or shorteningthe apron at bar 12./ Spring-plate 7, upon which the apron exerts adownward pull during the preliminary stages of rolling, serves to sotension the apron as to roll the bunches uniformly, the same beingneither too tightly rolled nor too loose. At the same time itcompensates for variations in amount of filler. The substantiallyuniform backward pull on the carriage exerted by tape 23 operates to sogovern or balance the same as to make its movement even or uniform.Vhile the machine is designed primarily for bunching long filler, itwill operate as well with short filler.

The machine is light and readily portable and may be placed foroperation on an ordinary table, bench, or other support. It may bemanufactured at small cost, the parts being few and simple, and thereare no delicate adjustments liable to disorder.

I claiml. Inabunchiug-machine,atable,an apron, a yielding support forthe apron higher than the table, and apron-actuating means.

2. Inabunching-machine,atable,an apron, a vertically-spri nging supportfrom which the apron depends, and apron-actuating means.

3. In a bunching-machine,a table,an apron, a vertically-springingsupport higher than the table and from which the apron depends to form apocket, and an apron-actuating roller movable beneath `the support andover the table.

4. In a bunching-machine, altable, aspringplate higher than the table,an apron secured at its ends and extending over the table andspring-plate, and apronactuating means.

5. In a bunching-machine, a base, a table at one end thereof, and asupport higher than the table at the opposite end of the base, aspringplate on the support extending toward the table, an apron securedat its ends and extending over the table and spring-plate, andapron-actuating means movable beneath the Aspring-plate and over thetable.

6. In abunching-machine,apron-actuating mechanism, a tubular rollerclosed at one end and at said end having a bearing, a non-rotating rodextending into the opposite end of the roller and constituting a bearingtherefor, a spring coiled around the yrod and secured at one end to therod and at the other end to the T0119?, and a tape wound on the rolleradapted to be unwound by the forward movement ofthe apron-actuatingmechanisurA Y and automatically retract the same whenre'l* leased.

7. Inabunching-rnachine, apron-actuating means comprisinga carriage, aremovablerod in the carriage bent at one end to turn into engagementwith the carriage and be held against removal, andan apron-engagingroller rotatable on and removably securedby the rod. Y

8. In a bunchingmachine, guide-rods, an apron-actuating carriage havingbearings slidable on the rods, and fibrous rings elnbracing the rods andmovable with the carriage. A

9. In a bunching-machine, guide-rods, an apronactuating carriage,separated rod-embracing eyes at each end of the carriage,bearing-bushings extending through the eyes at each end of the carriageand open between the eyes, and fibrous rings between the eyes andembracing the bushings.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK C. SMALSTIG.

l/Vitnesses:

J. M. NEsBIT, MARGARET HUGHES.

